Phase 1 (2005-2009): In its first phase, EDGE implemented surveys, interviews, program observations, and longitudinal logs to improve understanding of the outcomes of master’s and doctoral education in geography; the extent that graduate students are prepared for careers in higher education, government, business, and non-profit organizations; and the factors shaping (for better or worse) the experiences of graduate students in the discipline and their readiness for various professions. 

EDGE research has discovered, for example, that employers are facing shortages of talent with regard to professionals skilled in methods of geographical analysis and problem solving.   Such skills are needed for successful work in a wide variety of careers.  

EDGE also developed quantitative and qualitative methods for analyzing departmental culture and climate.   This research identified, for example, conditions in some departments that marginalized women and minorities, whereas other programs were more successful in creating a climate of support for all students.  

EDGE research provided the empirical foundation for two books, Aspiring Academics and Teaching College Geography.   The books offer engaging and practical advice to graduate students and early career faculty.  A companion website features dozens of workshop activities, discussion forums, and other community-building technologies.
The external evaluation of EDGE produced evidence of the project’s broader impact in the discipline, including new and revised curricula, changes to career advising and mentoring programs, and annual departmental leadership and faculty development programs.

Phase 1 involved collaborations with Oxford University’s Centre for Excellence in Preparing for Academic Practice, the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education, and the Carnegie Foundation’s Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning program.  

Phase 2 (2009-2012): With renewed support from NSF, EDGE has entered into a second phase of activity.   While the project continues to disseminate the results of its first phase, it will develop new research and outreach initiatives to support professional geographers in business, government, and non-profit (BGN) organizations.

EDGE Phase 2 will research the workplace cultures of BGN organizations, seeking to better understand the professional contexts in which geographic knowledge, skills, and technologies are applied (and potentially needed).  In particular, researchers will focus on the role of master’s education, including the professional science master’s degree, in preparing students for BGN careers.

EDGE’s second phase will also produce print and web resources for graduate curricula and sponsor workshops for aspiring BGN professionals.

In the coming years EDGE will continue to reach out in collaborations beyond geography’s disciplinary boundaries.   The Center for Innovation and Research in Graduate Education (CIRGE) will conduct the external evaluation and share in the effort to communicate the project’s outcomes.